The City of Greater Sudbury is at least partly on track to meeting its goal of an all-electric vehicle fleet by 2035.
During Tuesday’s city council meeting, the city’s elected officials were unanimous in approving a plan to shift to an almost fully electric light-duty vehicle fleet by 2035. The two-Zamboni vehicle balance would fill out the city's light-duty vehicle fleet the following year.
This partly meets the city’s Community Energy and Emissions Plan goal of having an all-electric fleet by 2035.
Earlier this year, city council balked at the $89.1-million added cost associated with transitioning to a fully-electric GOVA Transit fleet by 2035 (the 2023-50 net overall cost of shifting to electric buses from the diesel buses currently used).
Unlike GOVA Transit vehicles, going electric with light-duty vehicles and ice resurfacing machines carries a life-cycle net cost savings of $1.6 million.
“This is one of those interesting topics,” Ward 5 Coun. Mike Parent said during Tuesday’s meeting, adding that there are two camps of people who reached out to him when electric vehicles came up.
Parent relayed that there were those who said, “do everything you can to support this because we need to save the Earth,” and those who said, “I’d rather you not waste our money on this electrification stuff, it doesn' t make a difference."
“One thing I’ve learned is that everyone agrees that if it saves taxpayer money we should do that,” he said.
With light-duty vehicles notching this cost-savings box and heavy-duty vehicles like GOVA Transit buses coming at a net cost during their life cycle, light-duty vehicles won out in council chambers while heavy-duty vehicles did not.
On heavy-duty vehicles, city council members requested earlier this year a report on the "feasibility, cost and potential benefits” on “potential alternatives to reduce transit greenhouse gas emissions,” to be presented to city council members by September 2026.
Per Tuesday’s decision to go all-electric with light vehicles by 2035, the city is projected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 621 tonnes annually, a reduction of approximately 93 per cent compared to conventional vehicles.
As of last month, the city had purchased and/or ordered 29 electric vehicles and two electric ice-resurfacing vehicles. The city’s balance of 146 light vehicles and 16 Zambonis powered by internal combustion engines are now slated to be replaced with electric vehicles by 2035.
The city’s plan sets out the following changes to the city’s 146 light vehicles and 16 Zambonis currently powered by internal combustion engines:
- 71 half-ton pickups are to be replaced with electric F150 Lightnings
- 16 full-sized vans (Ford E Transit)
- 15 minivans (Kia EV9)
- 7 Sedans (Hyundai Kona)
- 21 SUVs (Chevrolet Equinox)
- 16 Zambonis (electric Zamboni)
“Electrifying our fleet is a responsible, forward-looking decision,” city Facilities and Fleet Services director Shawn Turner said in a media release issued by the city following Tuesday’s meeting.
“It will reduce emissions, lower long-term operating costs, and demonstrate that Greater Sudbury is prepared to lead by example when it comes to climate action.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.